To explain my point I need to first confuse the issue a bit (you'll see why): While a landing page is not an order page, it can, and in many cases should, contain the order form.
So what is the difference? Is this just a question of semantics? Actually, there is a big difference and it can have a big effect on your conversion rate. Generally, the order page is another page on your website. As such, it will have links to other parts of your site. Since someone who comes to the order or signup page often comes from other parts of your site, and has looked at descriptions of your products and service, you can assume they are ready to buy or sign up. When that is the case, there is little need to go into much sell, if any, before getting to the form prospects need to fill out.
Prospects who come to your site after seeing your marketing communications, online or offline, are in a different mindset. Generally, they are not prepared to buy or sign up yet. They need a landing page that includes some sell before seeing the order form. Confronting this prospect with the order form or signup form too early, before they feel prepared, can seem presumptuous and you can easily lose this prospect.
How much sell is needed depends on the communications prospects came from. A short ad or text link dictates longer sell than a lengthy article or direct mail letter. Another factor in how much sell/information copy is needed before asking for the order is the complexity of your product or the offer.
Say the prospect came from a longer marketing communications piece, either an article or a direct mail letter. While this prospect has more information than the one who comes from a short ad, there still needs to be some sell, even if it is to just quickly reiterate the benefits and make the prospect feel smart for coming to the landing page and taking advantage of your offer.
And in all cases, the landing page must be consistent with the marketing piece. If the prospect is suddenly confronted with a landing page that seems different or just doesn't seem to connect with the piece they came from, a number of unfortunate things happen. There is a credibility gap. The prospect senses this is different and becomes on guard. And you lose the momentum of the sell, where one benefit leads to another until the close.
Let's say you've determined the length of the sell copy on the landing page. At this point, there is a crucial decision to be made. After the sell, do you put the order form or signup form on the same page or have prospects click to go to another page to fill out the form?
There are two opposing prospect tendencies to deal with. The more clicks a prospect needs to go through to get to the order or signup, the more likely the prospect will not continue. On the other hand, make prospects do too much scrolling and you'll lose a certain percentage of them. In addition, if there is too much copy and graphics on a page, there is the danger that the page looks too cluttered and intimidating.
There is no cookie-cutter solution. Generally, it is preferable to have the order form on the same page as the preceding sell copy; that is, on the landing page. Having said that, there are numerous cases when having prospects click to go to a separate order page is better.
So you see, a landing page is an important, yet flexible, stage in the selling process. Always keep in mind the marketing piece the prospect came from and develop your landing page accordingly.
With 25 years of experience, Leon Altman focuses on helping marketers get more out of their investment in marketing. To inquire about his services, write leon@altmancommunications.com. To sign up for his Free Marketers FYI newsletter, visit his site at leon@altmancommunications.com
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareMost of us at times need advice on different aspects... Read More
A successful website is something that everyone venturing into the... Read More
Where does a person start when setting up a website?... Read More
Let's face it; the line from A Field of Dreams... Read More
Automating your online business is one of the most important... Read More
You may not believe it, but people still judge things... Read More
Do know your audienceIt's important to know your audience. If... Read More
I've written about META tags in the past, and I... Read More
Sooner or later every small or medium business owner realizes... Read More
Ever wonder how HTML color codes are put together? For... Read More
This article gives free tips on how to find a... Read More
The internet is filled with sites and they are good... Read More
Let's face it. Building a web site that browses consistently... Read More
Most people will agree there is nothing more annoying than... Read More
When you design a website how do you start ?Do... Read More
Creating an appealing, functional, and effective Web site is much... Read More
Imagine you're going on a blind date. You've heard wonderful... Read More
The solution lies in creating a 'Database driven website', through... Read More
What colors do you have at your website?Can they make... Read More
What do the key words represent?Key words - these are... Read More
Remember your vision for your company and the brand or... Read More
In the of-line marketing world it is all about trying... Read More
An "include" file is a piece of code that can... Read More
Creating your own website is actually easy in today's world... Read More
Your web site is like your car. Both are significant... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..Does your website need a re-design? Here are some questions... Read More
Whether you are planning on having a website built for... Read More
Are you thinking that it is about time your small... Read More
Easy navigation and usability are one of the most important... Read More
Content is undoubtedly the most important element of a website.... Read More
We've all surfed the web and seen some awful web... Read More
There are several graphic software packages available to help you... Read More
It is a well-known fact that a successful business depends... Read More
How many of the visitors to your web site take... Read More
There are many different website design companies, offering different facilities... Read More
Questions to ask when designing a Web Site for your... Read More
Graphics are fun, but if you put in too many... Read More
Audio can provide an added dimension to your site. It... Read More
Making a poorly designed website is one of the easiest... Read More
Creating your own website is actually easy in today's world... Read More
If you own a web site or if you are... Read More
Studies done by Jakob Nielson the man touted as the,... Read More
A "404 Error" happens when the web server you are... Read More
Most of us at times need advice on different aspects... Read More
They may look cutting edge, but if you want a... Read More
When creating an e-cover the what's the first thought that... Read More
You have only 10 seconds to impress your potential buyer.... Read More
Building a website can be overwhelming, here are some design... Read More
Just about every list of the "Top 10 Web Design... Read More
A search for "web design" on Google returns more than... Read More
Web Design |